I have no industry ties and I also don't like the ultra-processed labelling. Refined white flour is very processed, but when you process it further, by fermenting it to make sourdough, you make it healthier, not less healthy

And then there are the more fundamental debates, including the argument that foods like flavored yogurt and whole-grain bread are beneficial even if ultraprocessed, so it doesn’t make sense to regulate foods based on processing levels.

Same. I'm not in any way sympathetic to the processed food industry, but I think the nova system is scientifically un-rigorous, even in the low standards of nutrition science.

Experts in the field struggle to classify foods into processed versus ultra-processed, because on the face of the definition, it is imprecise and difficult to apply to some of the most commonly eaten foods in the world, prepared in many of the same ways that have been happening for centuries or millennia: bread, cheese, yogurt, pickles, fruit preserves.

It's a bad system, and people who are concerned about processed foods should study the actual ingredients involved.

Jesus ive said this half jokingly but assumed there was an actual answer. What the fuck even is an ultra processed food? Is it a buzz word for cheap food? Is it too much stirring? Or is this just a rebranded version of the age old trope dont eat shit you cant pronounce the jngredients list of.

Like demi moore beef stew? Is that ultra processed cuz ive seen it on lists and read my own can to find its like literally 5 ingredients untill you get to the less than 2% of the following which even still was only beef fat, tomatoe paste, potato starch cornstarch and the only unrecognizable ones are two disodium bitches and that just sounds like some msg shit (which is absolutely fabricated fear. Monosodium glutamate is literally in every meal naturally that most people eat without knowing)

Cuz the time it takes to make as much stew as i eat out of cans would make it a zero gain offset for the time im adding to the end of my life so ima call this a wash.

I think the first three commentors here are foolish.

If you know what it is like, in any kind of manufacturing plant, or done a single lab in high school, or fuck, just spent one month, looking up ingreditent processes you find on your lables, and how the odd ones are made, fuck, one should be able to understand. These arguments just read to me, "im too dense to understand, therefore it's fake and not a thing". It's super annoying.

I consume some UPFs. I also avoid them. You cannot change my mind, please dont bother, just see three industry comments here, I had to speak. Sorry gooooood day

yeah, the beef stew has a few ultra processed foods, and are probably a wash.

Not all peppers are spicy, not all UPF fuck a body up. I think it's good practice to know what you're eating, in general.

I really dislike that yellow food dye is a petrolium by product, so I avoid it. I think fish is gross too, but like, thats okay to say, but to say I dont like food dye, is wierd? I also dont like the idea of consuming shellac, it's bugs. Labeling is important, so that consumers can be informed.

Edit: I dont know if shellac is upf honestly, dont know why I brought it up. I dont think it is, idk though. aye.

All the ingredients are simple. The process is slice and fry.

I think by most general definitions, this wouldn’t be ultra processed, but intuitively we look at a bag of potato chips as think “unhealthy / ultra processed” (correctly).

Coffee and tea is ultra processed by most definitions, but also not intuitively what I would call ultra processed.

I think that’s what makes these definitions difficult, and by extension doing research on such a topic.

The vegetable oils are super ultra processed, if you lookup a oil factory it has a Factorio like industrial vibe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfk2IXlZdbI